Jesse Eisenberg

Jesse Eisenberg

Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times

Jesse Eisenberg walks down the carpet with an almost studied seriousness -- as if he has permanently embodied the persona of prickly Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. When he speaks it is quickly but with lots of intensity behind it. Brow furrowed, he picks at the hedge separating him from the press and crunches the green leaves between thumb and forefinger. He says he didn't expect all the awards attention the film has garnered. "When we were making it I thought it was really good, but I've thought that about a lot of things that have never been seen. The cultural significance of it couldn't be planned for." When asked if he felt a certain responsibility to the real-life Zuckerberg -- if he worried that the exec was hurt by his portrayal in the film, he paused and said, "I'm in a unique position because my job is to defend my character. If the movie was criticizing the character, which I don't think it was, from my very subjective point of view I was his champion." -- Jessica Gelt

Jesse Eisenberg walks down the carpet with an almost studied seriousness -- as if he has permanently embodied the persona of prickly Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. When he speaks it is quickly but with lots of intensity behind it. Brow furrowed, he picks at the hedge separating him from the press and crunches the green leaves between thumb and forefinger. He says he didn't expect all the awards attention the film has garnered. "When we were making it I thought it was really good, but I've thought that about a lot of things that have never been seen. The cultural significance of it couldn't be planned for." When asked if he felt a certain responsibility to the real-life Zuckerberg -- if he worried that the exec was hurt by his portrayal in the film, he paused and said, "I'm in a unique position because my job is to defend my character. If the movie was criticizing the character, which I don't think it was, from my very subjective point of view I was his champion." -- Jessica Gelt (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Jesse Eisenberg walks down the carpet with an almost studied seriousness -- as if he has permanently embodied the persona of prickly Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. When he speaks it is quickly but with lots of intensity behind it. Brow furrowed, he picks at the hedge separating him from the press and crunches the green leaves between thumb and forefinger. He says he didn't expect all the awards attention the film has garnered. "When we were making it I thought it was really good, but I've thought that about a lot of things that have never been seen. The cultural significance of it couldn't be planned for." When asked if he felt a certain responsibility to the real-life Zuckerberg -- if he worried that the exec was hurt by his portrayal in the film, he paused and said, "I'm in a unique position because my job is to defend my character. If the movie was criticizing the character, which I don't think it was, from my very subjective point of view I was his champion." -- Jessica Gelt